Pitch

When 6-year-old Clementine loses her mother to malaria during the 1870s diamond rush in southern Africa, she is left to be raised by her destitute, alcoholic father, James. Much of her care falls to their trusty Zulu companion, Joseph One-Shoe, and the pair form an unbreakable bond. When the two men uncover a large, flawless diamond, James believes he has finally secured their future, but the discovery of the gem comes at a huge cost.

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Published in November 2019 with a first print run of 60,000 copies
It is set for a reprint in April 2020.

Fiona McIntosh is an author of adult and children's books who lives in Australia. She was born in England and between the ages of three and eight, travelled a lot to Africa due to her father's work. She is a popular fiction superstar who has sold over 600,000 books in Australia and New Zealand to date. THE PEARL THIEF sold 81,000 copies in Australia and New Zealand alone.

Summary

‘It won’t matter how many diamonds you find if you lose the love of your child.’

When six-year-old Clementine Knight loses her mother to malaria during the 1870s diamond rush in southern Africa, she is left to be raised by her destitute, alcoholic father, James. Much of Clementine’s care falls to their trusty Zulu companion, Joseph One-Shoe, and the unlikely pair form an unbreakable bond.

When the two men uncover a large, flawless diamond, James believes he has finally secured their future, but the discovery of the priceless gem comes at a huge cost. A dark bargain is struck to do whatever it takes to return Clementine to a respectable life at the Grant family’s sprawling estate in northern England - while the diamond disappears.

Years on, long-buried memories of Clementine's childhood in Africa and her beloved Joseph One-Shoe are triggered, as she questions who she can trust. To solve the mystery of what happened to her loved ones all those years ago, she must confront a painful history and finally bring justice to bear.

From the harsh desert of Africa’s Kimberley diamond mine to the misty, green plains of northern England, THE DIAMOND HUNTER is an adventure story about trust and betrayal, the ultimate quest for truth, and a love that is truly priceless.

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Fiona McIntosh (born 1960) is an author of adult and children's books who lives in Australia. She was born in England and between the ages of three and eight, travelled a lot to Africa due to her father's work. At the age of nineteen, she travelled first to Paris and later to Australia, where she has lived ever since. In 2007, she released a crime novel, BYE BYE BABY, under the pseudonym of Lauren Crow, however the pen name has since been dropped for the republished edition of BYE BYE BABY and for the sequel, BEAUTIFUL DEATH.
She is a popular fiction superstar who has sold over 600,000 books in Australia and New Zealand to date. THE PEARL THIEF sold 81,000 copies in Australia and New Zealand alone.